The Best Performance Car for Resale Value After 5 Years

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Performance cars aren’t always known for holding their value, but one standout model defies the trend. After five years of ownership, this sporty sedan retains more of its original value than any other performance car on the market, making it not just fun to drive, but financially smart too.

With a reputation for reliability, solid build quality, and everyday usability, this car appeals to both driving enthusiasts and practical buyers. It offers sharp handling, a responsive turbocharged engine, and a manual transmission for those who love a more connected driving experience, all without breaking the bank.

Its strong resale value comes from more than just performance. It’s affordable to maintain, fuel-efficient, and consistently ranks high for owner satisfaction. If you’re looking for a car that delivers thrills today and holds its worth tomorrow, this one rises to the top. Here’s why it’s the smartest performance buy for long-term value.

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturer websites and other authoritative sources, including TopSpeed, RepairPal, CarEdge, Edmunds, and the EPA.

Honda's Sporty Civic Si Retains Its Value Extremely Well

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The Civic nameplate has been around for a long time, with the base car being one of the best value-for-money sedans on the market and the raucous Type R offering exceptional levels of performance. The Si sits between the two, delivering sporty driving dynamics without an absurdly high price tag.

Depreciation and Value

The Si has been around for decades now, offering a performance bump from the regular Civic sedan while retaining a value-oriented approach. For those without ridiculous amounts of money to blow, it perfectly walks the line between performance, practicality, and affordability.

CarEdge sources data from the used market to make predictions regarding how much cars will lose their value over time. They estimate that the Civic Si will retain 66 percent of its value after five years. This puts it among some of the slowest depreciating cars on the market. The Si holds its value very well over even longer periods of time as well, meaning if you plan to enjoy it for a long time, you’ll still get a good chunk of money back when you decide to move on.

2026 Trims and Pricing

Starting at just over $30,000, the Civic Si is an absolute steal. The only performance car that comes close in price is the Volkswagen Golf GTI, which we have already praised for its exceptional value. If you pay MSRP for a new Civic Si, then after five years you should expect to get around $20,456 back, which is a pretty good deal in our eyes.

The Civic Si comes fully equipped from the word go. The only choices that you have to make are what color you want. It gets all the best equipment on offer in the regular Civic sedan as standard kit, meaning that it is exceptionally comfortable and well-connected. This, along with its general practicality, definitely aids its ability to retain value well over time.

Other Long-Term Costs

As well as depreciation, there are a couple of other long-term costs that should always be in the back of your mind when buying a new car. One of the largest of these costs is insurance. CarEdge actually estimates that insurance for the Si is a bigger cost than value lost through depreciation. They estimate that the average Civic Si owner will pay $2,153 annually, adding up to $10,765 over five years.

Maintenance is another big cost that is often forgotten about. Fortunately, Hondas are generally not that expensive to keep in good order. CarEdge estimates that you’ll spend around $5,716 over ten years in maintenance on your Si. This is comes close to the average for popular sedans.

Honda Offers Sportiness Without the Hefty Fuel Bill in the Civic Si

Sitting between the Civic sedan and the Civic Type R, the Si offers more fun than the base model yet doesn’t leave you with an empty tank nearly as often as the Type R does. It really is one of the most usable sporty cars that you can buy and is perfect if you’re aiming for an affordable one-car garage.

Performance Specifications

We’re not trying to claim that the Si is going to compete to be the quickest car on the road, but for the price you pay, it offers a good amount of fun. Its turbocharged four-banger puts out enough power for it to get to 60 in under seven seconds. It also comes standard with a slick-shifting manual transmission, which is very appealing to enthusiasts, and a limited-slip differential.

The Honda Civic Si lives by the same ethos as the likes of the Mazda MX-5 and Subaru BRZ, proving that you don’t need to be the fastest to have the most fun. It is also pretty beginner-friendly, now coming with a rev-match feature for those who haven’t totally mastered heel-and-toeing just yet. It is agile and well-planted, giving you tons of confidence through corners, and always feels like it wants you to push it a little harder.

Fuel Efficiency and Costs

To get a quick and agile car that doesn’t guzzle gas is not an easy task in today’s world. However, despite its perky powertrain, the Si still manages to deliver more than 30 miles per gallon combined. It may not be the outright thriftiest car on the market, but the trade off for the performance you get certainly feels worth it.

The EPA estimates that you’ll spend around $2,000 annually on fuel. This assumes that you’ll drive on the highway 45 percent of the time and in the city 55 percent of the time. It also assumes that you’ll do an average of 15,000 miles a year.

Key Driver Assist and Safety Features

• Collision Mitigation Braking System
• Lane Keeping Assist System
• Auto High-Beam Headlights
• Multi-angle Rearview Camera
• Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow

The Si comes with a pretty comprehensive list of driver assists, including collision detection and mitigation systems as well as an adaptive cruise control system that allows for semi-autonomous driving in congested traffic. While the Si hasn’t been crash tested, the regular Civic sedan was given the Top Safety Pick award by the IIHS. We expect the sportier model to deliver similar results.

Sporty, Comfortable, and Practical: The Civic Si is an Affordable Trifecta

One of the biggest reasons why the regular Civic sedan is so well regarded is because it is very comfortable for its price point. The Civic Si features the exact same dimensions and interior design as the regular hatch, but comes loaded with top-end features and some unique sporty elements.

Interior Dimensions and Comfort

Compared to other compact cars, the Civic Si actually features a pretty spacious back seat. There won’t be too much guilt hovering when you offer to give your friends a lift. In the front you have even more room to stretch your legs. While it isn’t cavernous, the trunk also offers a reasonable amount of space. We just wish that you could get the Si in the hatchback body style.

On the inside, the Civic Si isn’t all that different to the regular sedan. The main distinction is some red stitching and Si logos embossed onto the headrests. There are plenty of comfort features that come standard in the sporty Honda sedan, including dual-zone climate control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and heated front seats.

Infotainment and Technology

The best-equipped Civic sedans come with a nine-inch infotainment system. That screen is standard in the Si. It rises out of the dashboard and comes with an analog volume knob attached. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard kit here. In front of the driver is a 10.2-inch digital gauge cluster.

As well as some USB-C charging ports, the Si also comes equipped with a wireless smartphone charging pad. Bose also supplies a 12-speaker premium sound system.